Design 101

“We know our users/customers" pic.twitter.com/vFyHc8ZvPZ — Keith Stoeckeler ? (@keiths) October 30, 2018 That time I asked a [software] developer if anyone had actually watched an ER attendant on nightshift try to use the patient-information interface his team had built. “You mean time-and-motion studies,” he stated. “No,” I said; “What I mean is, has anyone … Read moreGo forth and watch people.

A rolling blog of up to 101 design critiques: things that could be (or maybe already are!) better than we expect – thanks to a bit of Design Thinking. There’ll be UI, UX, CX; signs, services, systems; playgrounds, objects, and more – you name it, I want it to be better.

So I was using this salt, and I spotted this sticker on the lid, and I grimaced. Salt doesn’t expire; it’s almost literally a rock. There’ll be a process behind this sticker. It didn’t arrive on my salt by accident. My inner empath says it’s a sad result of tens of people rolling over and … Read moreHow long do you plan to be in business?

Happiness by design – or by accident, late on a Friday after a beer? I’d hope it was the former: a simple tweak of boilerplate copy, plus a bit of fun with perspective (safety stripes never made a delivery bay look so biiiiig) – equals a fresh way to get busy tradies to notice and respect safety signage. Wonder how much effect this kind of gentle engagement has on keeping the place in order? How would you know?

Ever been 5 minutes late for school? What did you do? I bet you didn’t slow down, and look more carefully for cars. That’s why this example of poor design bugs the shit out of me. Yes, the sign is visually clear about its main message – 40km/h – but the system design behind the rest … Read moreThe semiotics of signs

In what universe is this even remotely acceptable? I’m so grumpy about this I might have to go for a walk to calm down, then come back later and critique what’s going on – and how it might be fixed with a teensy bit of thought.